Friday, May 02, 2008

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam's Budget Address

I had RSVP'd to attend Mayor Haslam's budget address. However, an illness in the family kept me home. Brian's Blog had many correspondents at the budget address/luncheon.

It was expected that Mayor Haslam would utilize some of his excess rainy day fund money as an investment into the Knox County School system. It was rumored from his own senior staff members that he was prepared to invest somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.0 million dollars in the Knox County School System. It was especially encouraging when he had students from Beaumont and Lonsdale at the budget address. But, when the budget was presented there were no additional dollars going to the school system from the City's rainy day fund.

It makes you wonder. What can Haslam say when he runs for Governor about public schools. As Mayor, he did nothing extra for the children. As a young man, his family enrolled him in private schools. As a father, he enrolled his own children in private schools. Just how could Bill Haslam relate to the children in public schools? After all, on Thursday they were simply used as stage props.